Last of the Badmen is a 1957 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Paul Landres and starring George Montgomery.Last of the Badmen opened in Chicago on April 17, 1957 at the Roosevelt Theater (State and Washington, around 1,500 seats) as part of a double bill with The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)[1]
| Last of the Badmen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Paul Landres |
| Screenplay by | Daniel B. Ullman David Chantler |
| Produced by | Vincent M. Fennelly |
| Starring | George Montgomery |
| Cinematography | Ellsworth Fredericks |
| Edited by | William Austin |
| Music by | Paul Sawtell |
Production company | Allied Artists Pictures |
| Distributed by | Allied Artists Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 79 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThis article needs a plot summary. (April 2021) |
Cast
edit- George Montgomery as Dan Barton
- James Best as Ted Hamilton
- Douglas Kennedy as Hawkins
- Keith Larsen as Roberts
- Robert Foulk as Tom Taylor
- Willis Bouchey as Marshal Parker
- John Doucette as Johnson
- Meg Randall as Lila
- Tom Greenway as Dallas
- Addison Richards as Dillon
- Michael Ansara as Jess Kramer
- John Damler as Elkins
Production
editThe film was known as 54 Washington Street. Filming started June 1956.[2]
References
edit- ↑ "Research Notes: The Incredible Shrinking Man – Chicago Film Society". July 5, 2022.
- ↑ Drama: Studio Starts Drive for New Talent; 'Wreath' Beckons South Sea Find Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 7 June 1956: A7.
External links
edit- Last of the Badmen at IMDb
- Last of the Badmen at TCMDB
- Last of the Badmen at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
 | This article related to an American Western film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
George Montgomery is Dan Barton, a detective with the Chandler Agency. The agency’s mission: to break up an outlaw band that has an ingenious plan for getting away with thievery.
They break an outlaw out of jail, make him the front man — and the only identifiable individual — in a series of holdups.
Then, when the price on his head gets high enough, they kill him for the reward. That way they make money on the holdups and the bounties, but never get caught.
After one Chandler detective infiltrates the group only to lose his life, it’s Barton’s turn to go undercover.
He finds an ally inside the group in Ted Hamilton (James Best), a young man cooperating with the outlaw gang against his will, and he has one outside in Roberts (Keith Larsen), a fellow agent posing as faro dealer in the town of Gallatin.
Thing is, once he’s a part of the outlaw gang, Barton is convinced there’s someone organizing the holdups from the outside.
George Montgomery as Dan Barton, arriving in Gallatin for his undercover assignment in Last of the Badmen (1957) George Montgomery as Dan Barton, arriving in Gallatin for his undercover assignment in Last of the Badmen (1957)
Keith Larsen as Roberts, an undercover detective, trying to watch over Dan Barton in Last of the Badmen (1957) Keith Larsen as Roberts, an undercover detective, trying to watch over Dan Barton in Last of the Badmen (1957)
Review:
A fairly ingenious plot in a film that unfortunately lacks any sort of spark. Or enough character development to make us care if Montgomery, Best or Larsen survive their respective plights.
The purple prose narration of nearly every significant development doesn’t help. It’s not as though the storyline is that difficult to follow.
The film was remade just six years later as “Gunfight at Comanche Creek,” an Audie Murphy vehicle.